Yerbol Nisanbayev, second from left, a student at Yonsei University’s global MBA program, poses with his classmates in front of the Sangnam Institute of Business at the Yonsei campus in western Seoul, in September, 2010. / Courtesy of Yerbol Nisanbayev

Yerbol Nisanbayev, 24, came to Korea from Uzbekistan in 2010 and is expected to earn his MBA December from Yonsei Global Master of Business Administration. Nisanvayev, who loves Korean culture, is now looking for a job in Korea.

Why did you come to Korea?

When I was in my home country, I had a chance to meet people with Korean ethnic background whose ascendants emigrated from Russia to the Middle East in 1930’s. They introduced me to a wide variety of Korean culture, including Korean cuisine and Korean dances, which was fascinating to me. So I wanted to learn more about Korea and the Korean people.

Besides cultural interests, since Korea is a fast moving hot bed of technology, I also wanted to get a feeling of what it is to live in a fast growing country and a make commitment through studies.

Why did you decide to take MBA program?

MBA is a very universal degree. My original major was Computer Science. However, jobs that you could get in that area are very limited. I wanted to extend my opportunities which I can get after graduation and I thought an MBA would not only enrich my knowledge but also help me get alumni network.

Why did you choose Yonsei?

First of all, Yonsei is one of the top schools in Korea. Yonsei attracted me mainly because it appeared to me as the most internationalized school in Korea. It has an international student body, and if you look at the faculty in the school, most of them have studied abroad, so I believe that their approach meets global standards. Another reason is its location. Yonsei is located in a very unique area where you can experience Korea’s modern culture while doing your MBA.

Did the school offer you special opportunities?

Thanks to the support of the schools’ career center, I received plenty of information about available internships in Korea. By late June I had internship offers from several large Korean conglomerates. I finally had an internship opportunity in Samsung C&T Corporation for two months. I was responsible for global market research. It was great experience as it was a chance to learn Korea’s corporate culture.

Did you find the MBA program helpful while doing internship?

Yes, of course. Before being responsible of global market research, I took classes like Operation Management, Marketing and Corporate Finance and Financial Valuation. Those classes helped me perform my job in more professional ways. In particular, Financial Valuation helped me add values to my company valuation projects. Besides, MBA programs not only helped me acquire professional skills but also taught me how to think at the global levels.

Who are your favorite professors?

Professor Chung Kee H., who is an visiting professor from the State University of New York at Buffalo, was my favorite. Chung, who is in charge of Economics of Financial Markets and Investments, had a rich experience in teaching finance and he could put very complicated notions in a very simple way. I really enjoyed his classes.

At the practical level, Understanding Korean Corporate Culture and Global Multinational Corporation in Korea of school’s associate dean Suh Kil­soo was impressive. Prof. Suh is a person who started to revamp the Yonsei MBA program in 2009 so his class resembles his active personality. He organized two courses where he invited CEOs of companies like BMW, Singapore Development Bank and renowned professors and politicians. We had a chance to hear from people who are on the job what is actually happening in Korean market and I think this add values to MBA program.

What is your plan after graduation?

I’m actually looking for a job in Korea and the school’s career center is helping me out. I put lots of time and efforts in the country so I would like to leverage what I gained here. Also, the interesting Korean culture is another factor that makes me want to work in Korea. One good example is the way that Korean people build friendship, which I believe is very unique. From the start, they try to build long-lasting relationship. Seniors always try to help juniors and juniors always try to learn from seniors. In this culture, I’ve got a lot of my life-time friends.

Interview by Kwon Eun-young